How to Download Torrents Safely in 2024 – Beginner’s Guide

Downloading torrents on an unprotected internet connection is dangerous. You could expose yourself to viruses, malware, and hackers, or even face legal consequences if you breach copyright laws.

I’ve compiled a set of straightforward suggestions for safely downloading torrents and steering clear of online threats. However, for a swift and effective solution, a VPN stands out as the optimal tool for secure torrenting. When you use a VPN, it encrypts and conceals your actual IP address, ensuring it remains inaccessible to anyone observing your online activities.

ExpressVPN is the best option for secure torrenting, offering a global network of P2P servers optimized for fast file-sharing. Plus, you can test ExpressVPN risk-free for 30 days to see if it’s right for you. If not, you can easily request a refund.

Secure your torrents with ExpressVPN

Quick Guide: How to Safely Download Torrents

The Best VPNs for Fast and Safe Torrenting (Tested 2024)

1. ExpressVPN — Fast Server Speeds and Military-Grade Security for Safe and Easy Torrenting

Outstanding

Outstanding

📍Servers	3,000+
📱Devices	8
💰Refund	30 days
📝Keep logs	No
🔰Kill switch
📞Support 24/7	Yes

See Deals

Key Features:

ExpressVPN is one of the fastest and most secure VPNs on the market, making it a great choice for torrenting. During my tests, I could download torrents quickly and anonymously, protecting my data from hackers and completing my downloads in record time.

Also, ExpressVPN supports torrenting on all of its 3,000+ servers. I tested over 20 different locations, and no matter what server I connected to, my download speeds barely dropped from my base speed of 110Mbps.

With such high speeds, I could not only torrent but also stream UHD-quality content on Netflix at the same time.

I could torrent a copyright-free movie in less than 5 minutes while downloading a music album at the same time (which only took 1 minute)! ExpressVPN was equally fast when I was torrenting a 38GB file – it downloaded in just 20 minutes.

ExpressVPN has a very strict privacy policy to provide fully anonymous internet access. Its TrustedServer technology deletes all your data from the system every time you turn it off. Alongside the provider’s top-of-the-range encryption, your torrenting activities are always untraceable.

To further secure your connection when torrenting, ExpressVPN has a kill switch to ensure your data won’t be exposed if the VPN connection is interrupted. While the kill switch isn’t available on iOS, I had zero issues with connection stability during my tests.

Plus, it has DNS, IP, and WebRTC leak protection to guarantee all traffic stays within the encrypted tunnel. As a result, you can safely download torrents anonymously and be safe from the prying eyes of hackers or your ISP.

At $6.67 per month on a 1-year + 3 months plan, ExpressVPN is a bit more expensive than other VPNs. However, I think having access to unlimited and uninterrupted torrenting is worth the extra cost.

If you’re unsure, I suggest you test ExpressVPN’s optimized torrenting servers for yourself. It’s even backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can get a full refund if you change your mind.

I tested the refund process myself and was surprised by how easy it was. I requested a refund after 24 days through the 24/7 live chat and the agent processed it quickly, no questions asked. Best of all, I received my money back within a week.

2. CyberGhost — Global Servers Optimized for Easy P2P File-Sharing

Outstanding

Outstanding

📍Servers	11,780+
📱Devices	7
💰Refund	45 days
📝Keep logs	No
🔰Kill switch
📞Support 24/7	Yes

See Deals

Key Features:

With a vast network of servers optimized just for torrenting, CyberGhost is a great choice for safe and easy P2P file sharing. Optimized servers ensure the fastest download speeds and seamless file sharing. During my tests, I successfully downloaded a 40GB file in just 40 minutes – considerably less time than most other VPNs.

Usually, the servers closer to your location are faster, but I found that CyberGhost’s optimized servers in less popular locations often had better download speeds. This is due to a lower number of simultaneous users. To ensure consistent fast downloads, I favorited reliable servers for quick connections.

I was pleased that CyberGhost’s high-level security protected my data while torrenting. Like ExpressVPN, CyberGhost uses RAM-based servers that guarantee no online activity is stored. It also uses military-grade encryption to secure traffic and has a kill switch available on all apps.

Even more impressive, CyberGhost has its own ad, tracker, and malware-blocker included on its Windows, Mac, and Android apps. It worked well to block torrents containing malicious files and tracking cookies. Plus, it blocked annoying pop-up ads from appearing on torrent sites so I could browse more easily. Just switch it on from your app before torrenting.

CyberGhost has a 45-day money-back guarantee, which is considerably longer than other VPNs. This means you can subscribe to CyberGhost’s 2-year + 4 months plan for $2.03 per month risk-free and get a full refund if you’re not satisfied. I tested the refund process and CyberGhost’s customer service was very helpful. I asked for a refund through the 24/7 live chat and the agent processed it in less than 5 minutes. I had the money back in my account in a week.

3. Private Internet Access — Huge Network Supports Torrenting on All Servers

Excellent

Excellent

📍Servers	35,000+
📱Devices	Unlimited
💰Refund	30 days
📝Keep logs	No
🔰Kill switch
📞Support 24/7	Yes

See Deals

Key Features:

Private Internet Access (PIA) has an enormous network of unlimited+ servers that support torrenting. During my tests, I didn’t have to worry about congestion: PIA automatically connected me to the fastest server available so I could torrent immediately.

If your speeds are slow, PIA lets you decrease encryption from AES 256-bit to AES 128-bit. While this doesn’t massively affect your security (AES encryption has never been broken), it gives you a speed boost for torrenting, as 128-bit is less resource-intensive.

I found PIA’s download speeds drop significantly over long distances. I tested multiple servers and from a base speed of 110Mbps, my average download speed dropped to 75Mbps. With these speeds, I downloaded a 40GB file in just over an hour.

It also has a kill switch, leak protection, and its MACE ad-blocker as part of its security package. These features work well to secure your connection, protect your data from hackers, and stop potentially harmful pop-up ads when visiting torrent sites.

Although PIA is based in the US (part of the 5, 9, and 14 Eyes intelligence-sharing alliances), its no-logs policy (verified by Deloitte) confirmed that PIA doesn’t log or store any user data.

At $2.03/month on a 2-year + 4 months plan, PIA is more affordable than ExpressVPN or CyberGhost. Also, you can test PIA’s torrenting ability risk-free for 30 days. I tested the refund process by contacting the 24/7 live chat. The agent asked if I wanted to troubleshoot any issues, but when I confirmed I’d like a refund, they processed it quickly. I had my money back in just 4 days.

4. NordVPN — SOCKS5 Proxy Servers in 5 Locations to Ensure Fast Torrenting

Excellent

Excellent

📍Servers	6,320+
📱Devices	10
💰Refund	30 days
📝Keep logs	No
🔰Kill switch
📞Support 24/7	Yes

See Deals

Key Features:

NordVPN’s SOCKS5 proxy servers in 8 locations support fast and secure torrent downloads. They seamlessly integrate with popular torrent clients like uTorrent and BitTorrent. You can use NordVPN’s simple setup guides to set them up. I had my uTorrent up and running with the proxy in under 10 minutes.

In addition, NordVPN also has dedicated P2P servers in over 50 countries. After testing several of them, I found the average speed to be approximately 72Mbps. While SOCKS5 proxy servers were slightly faster, P2P servers are still fast and provide the added benefit of encryption to keep your torrenting activity safe.

Using NordVPN’s P2P server in the UK, I was able to download a hefty 3.4GB copyright-free movie in just 4 minutes. Also, if you’re using NordVPN’s VPN server instead of a proxy server, I recommend choosing the NordLynx protocol for the best speeds.

NordLynx is NordVPN’s fastest and safest protocol for torrenting

Security-wise, NordVPN has some great features to protect your identity and torrenting activity, including:

• Threat Protection — effectively blocked all intrusive and shady ads on my torrent client and every torrenting site I visited.
• Double VPN — routes your traffic through 2 VPN servers, adding an extra layer of encryption.
• An automatic kill switch — instantly cuts off your internet connection if your VPN connection drops, preventing any accidental exposure of your torrenting activity.
• A no-logs policy — NordVPN never logs your activity or connection metadata, as confirmed by independent audits by PwC and Deloitte, ensuring your privacy while torrenting.
• Obfuscated servers — disguise your VPN traffic as regular HTTPS traffic, making it nearly impossible for your ISP to detect or throttle your connection during torrenting.

I have a minor concern that NordVPN might log and share user data with certain investigation agencies to abide by international rules and regulations. With that said, you’ve nothing to worry about as long as you don’t engage in illegal torrenting. So, be sure to verify your torrents before downloading them and check your local laws.

You can try NordVPN for just $3.09/month with its 2-year + 3 months plan. It also has a 30-day money-back guarantee. I personally tested NordVPN’s refund process via live chat. The agent approved my request in 7 minutes after I explained I don’t need the service anymore. The money was returned to my account in 5 days.

5. Surfshark — Secure Your Torrents Further With Nexus Technology

Great VPN

Great VPN

📍Servers	3,200+
📱Devices	Unlimited
💰Refund	30 days
📝Keep logs	No
🔰Kill switch
📞Support 24/7	Yes

See Deals

Key Features:

Surfshark provides enhanced security for torrenting through its Nexus technology with features like IP rotator, IP randomizer, and multi-hop. The IP rotator and randomizer constantly change your IP address while torrenting, adding an extra layer of protection, while multi-hop channels your traffic through 2 or more VPN servers for added anonymity.

Turning on Rotating IP will ensure extra safety while torrenting

It also has many other security features to keep you safe while torrenting. These are:

• CleanWeb — effectively blocks all ads, trackers, malware, and phishing attempts to keep you safe while torrenting.
• A kill switch — automatically shuts your internet if the VPN connection drops.
• No-logs policy — an independent audit has confirmed that Surfshark doesn’t log your online activities.
• NoBorders mode — allows you to browse freely, even in countries with restrictive internet access.

With 3,200+ servers spanning 100 countries, Surfshark extends P2P support across its server network. In my tests on servers in the US, Canada, and the UK, I consistently achieved speeds around 78Mbps — more than sufficient for fast and reliable torrenting.

Despite being headquartered in the Netherlands, which falls under the 9 Eyes jurisdiction, Surfshark’s no-logs policy is independently verified by Deloitte. This means that even if authorities within the jurisdiction request user data, Surfshark has nothing to hand over, safeguarding your privacy and anonymity while torrenting.

While Surfshark’s long-distance connections may not match the speeds of ExpressVPN, they still provide decent download rates for torrenting. On its London server, I experienced a 43% speed drop. However, considering my baseline speed of around 100 Mbps, I managed to download a 2 GB torrent from the public domain in approximately 20 minutes.

Starting at just $2.29 per month, Surfshark’s 2-year + 2 months plan offers excellent value for money. Plus, it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, meaning you can try it without risk. You can initiate the refund process via live chat. I received a full refund 4 business days after the agent approved my request.

Quick Comparison Table: 2024’s Best VPNs for Torrenting

How to Safely Download Torrents on Any Device

To download torrents safely, you need to use a quality VPN service. In these step-by-step guides, I’ll show you how to configure your VPN to make sure your data and device are secure when torrenting.

Windows PC, Mac, Linux, and Android

Make sure you’ve downloaded a torrent client, like BitTorrent or Flud, before you begin torrenting.

iOS (iPhone and iPad)

Apple doesn’t permit torrent clients on its app store, making it a bit unique to download torrents to your iOS devices. You’ll need to utilize an in-browser torrent app.

Is Torrenting Really That Dangerous?

Yes, torrenting can be very dangerous — especially if you don’t connect to a top VPN service first. When you download a torrent on an unsecured connection, you put yourself at risk of multiple threats:

• Hackers and Spies — When you’re downloading or seeding a torrent file, your IP address is exposed to everyone sharing that file. Hackers can trace your IP address, discover your location, track your activity, and steal sensitive data.
• Malware — Torrent files that seem safe could be hiding malicious files (like malware, spyware, and ransomware) designed to steal your data. These threats can be downloaded to your device without you knowing, and are tough to get rid of.
• Data Security — When you initially download a torrent, it’s stored in a shared folder. Seeding the torrent lets others see the contents of that folder. While you might not think you’re storing sensitive data in torrent folders, you should check thoroughly before downloading anything.
• ISP (Internet Service Provider) Throttling — Torrenting files requires considerable bandwidth. If your ISP thinks you’re using too much data, it will “throttle” your bandwidth to prevent data-intensive activities. This affects torrenting, and will slow browsing, online gaming, and streaming.
• Copyright Issues — Downloading copyrighted content is a criminal offense, even if it happens accidentally. A copyright holder can use your exposed IP address to trace the activity and begin legal proceedings against you. You could face heavy fines or jail time. My team and I don’t condone illegal downloads so make sure you’re not downloading copyrighted material and you’re aware of torrenting laws in your country.

How a VPN Protects You When Torrenting

The safest way to download torrents is with a premium VPN. A VPN tunnels your traffic securely through a remote server, making it impossible for hackers, spies, and other users to see your IP address or torrent activity.

Your IP address is like an online location marker that shows websites and services where your device is located. This can make you vulnerable to malicious third parties seeking to discover your identity to steal your information. When your traffic is routed through the VPN server, it’s assigned a new IP address. No one can trace this IP address back to your location, making you anonymous.

The top VPNs for torrenting also add a high-level AES 256-bit encryption, which is impossible to crack — it’s the same kind used by the US military and financial institutions. The encryption can only be deciphered by your intended online recipient, such as a torrenting website. Anyone else who tries to see what you’re doing will only see jumbled data as they don’t have the code to decipher the encryption.

Hiding your IP address and encrypting your traffic makes it virtually impossible to trace your activity when torrenting — and you can only get high-level protection with a quality VPN like ExpressVPN.

How to Choose the Best Torrenting VPN

While many VPNs claim to be good for torrenting, only a few have all the necessary features to protect you when file-sharing. I thoroughly tested every VPN against multiple criteria and ranked them accordingly:

• P2P support — All the VPNs listed here support P2P file transfer on their entire Network – some even have special servers optimized for smooth torrenting.
• Top-tier encryption — The recommended VPNs all have military-grade encryption to ensure your torrent activity is secure and anonymous when connected.
• Premium security features — To protect your data, all listed VPNs provide leak protection (including IP, IPv6, DNS, and WebRTC), a kill switch, and secure protocols like OpenVPN and WireGuard.
• Strict no-logs policy — I read the privacy policy of each VPN to make sure your data and activity won’t be logged by the service.
• No data caps — Torrenting is a data-intensive activity, so your VPN needs to have unlimited data so you can download and share as many files as you want.
• Fast connection speeds — All of the recommended VPNs have reliably fast download speeds so your torrents are complete as soon as possible.
• Split tunneling — While not strictly necessary for torrenting, this feature lets you decide which apps and data are secured by the VPN connection (like your torrent client) and which aren’t, so you can access local sites and services at the same time.
• 24/7 customer service — I tested the customer contact options for each VPN to ensure quick, helpful responses to questions and issues.
• Money-back guarantee — Every VPN has a minimum 30-day money-back guarantee. I tested the refund process for each VPN and had no issues getting my money back.

Other Top Tips for Safe Torrenting

Here are a few more things you can do to protect your data and devices while torrenting:

1. Use an Antivirus: Torrents can host malicious files, like viruses, spyware, and ransomware. Using a high-quality antivirus blocks harmful torrents, protecting your devices from attacks.
2. Only Download Legal Torrents: Popular torrenting sites host both legal and illegal content. It’s difficult to check which torrents are copyrighted, so use reputable websites with only legal content.
3. Use a Trustworthy Torrent Client: A torrent client is an app that accesses, downloads, and manages torrent files. It connects to a torrent server and requests a chosen file from every person sharing it. Some trustworthy torrent clients include BitTorrent, Vuze, and uTorrent.
4. Configure Your Torrent Client Correctly: Make sure your torrent client is set to update automatically and that it doesn’t start when your device powers on — this will prevent unsecured seeding. Also, configure IP binding, which will stop your torrent client from seeding or leeching when your VPN isn’t active.
5. Choose the Right Torrent File: Torrent files that have a lot of seeders are less likely to contain malware and will complete more quickly. The bigger the number of users, the more likely it is to be reliable.
6. Read the Comments: Check torrents for positive comments. All torrent platforms let users leave comments on files they’ve downloaded. The comments either praise safe files or warn others against downloading an infected program.
7. Look for Flair: Sites like The Pirate Bay verify users with a flair system that shows which members (and torrents) you can trust.
8. Download Files to a Sandboxed Environment: A sandbox environment is an application that creates an isolated, virtual space on your device. This lets you safely delete harmful programs contained in torrents without them attacking your device.
9. Join a Community: Torrenting communities are groups of peers who share moderated files between members, removing files that don’t meet community standards. Members can torrent files free from viruses, scams, and malware. These communities work on an invitation-only basis. The best way to get invited is to participate in discussion boards, like r/torrents on Reddit.
10. Avoid Proxies: While proxies change your IP address to mask your true location, they don’t encrypt your connection — your torrent activity will be visible to anyone watching and your ISP could potentially throttle your connection.

Glossary of Key Torrenting Terms

• BitTorrent — A torrent client (software) designed specifically for P2P file-sharing.
• Copyright trolls — A person or company that aggressively enforces copyrights to make money through litigation.
• IP binding — Configuring an IP address to a specific device makes it easier to identify the root of online activities.
• ISP throttling — The intentional slowing of internet service by an internet service provider.
• Leechers — Peers or clients actively downloading a file and not having 100% of the data.
• Magnet link — A method of downloading torrents that directly links your torrenting client to the .torrent file.
• NAT firewall — Operates on a router and protects the identity of the private network and internal IP addresses.
• Peers — A client running on a computer that connects to other clients to transfer (upload or download) data.
• Port forward — A technique that allows external devices access to devices on private networks.
• Proxy — A server that acts as a “middleman” for data requests from clients to the servers holding the requested data.
• Seeders — Peers or clients that have 100% of the file data and continue or start uploading for other peers to download from.
• Swarm — All seeds and peers that are sharing the same torrent.
• Trackers — A server that keeps track of the seeds and peers in a swarm.

FAQs About Torrenting

Protect Your Identity and Torrent Safely with a VPN

Torrenting is a great way to share files and data with others, but it comes with risks that can put you in dangerous situations. To protect yourself from hackers and keep your data safe, download a quality VPN. That way, you can access torrents while keeping your details hidden from prying eyes.

ExpressVPN is a perfect choice for torrenting as it offers more than 3,000 torrent-friendly servers optimized to provide fast speeds and unbreakable security.

You don’t have to commit to a service without testing the VPN for yourself first. It’s backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can try ExpressVPN for yourself completely risk-free! If you change your mind about subscribing, you can easily get a full refund.

Summary: Best VPNs to Download Torrents Safely in 2024

Rank

Provider name

Our score

Price

Top Ranked Top Choice

1.

9.8

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$6.67 / month Save 49%

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2.

9.6

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$2.03 / month Save 84%

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3.

9.4

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$2.03 / month Save 83%

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4.

9.4

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$3.09 / month Save 76%

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5.

9.4

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$2.29 / month Save 85%

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